The repeatedly delayed Galaxy S21 FE has finally been unveiled by Samsung. The phone is a cross between the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S20 FE, offering last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip, Android 12, a 6.4-inches 120Hz screen, a 4,500mAh cell, and a triple rear camera setup. PCMag reports that the device will be able to use two physical SIMs simultaneously in the US.
That’s a biggie because dual-SIM phones are hard to come by in the US, apparently because the major carriers in the country are opposed to the idea because a second line can cut into the bottom line. They are less averse to eSIMs because they are free to opt-out of supporting them.
OnePlus used to sell dual-SIM phones in the US but eliminated the option last year. Recent flagship phones from Apple, Google, and Samsung let you use two numbers, but one of those must be activated through an eSIM.
That won’t be the case with the Galaxy S21 FE as the phone is theoretically capable of offering support for two SIM cards. This only applies to the unlocked variants as carriers will probably sell single-SIM models.
PCMag adds that the feature isn’t yet active on their review unit, meaning even though the phone has a tray for the second SIM, it’s useless at the moment. Samsung aims to enable the functionality at some point in the future but isn’t providing a specific timeline right now. Thus, it’s likely that the feature will not work at launch.
The Galaxy S21 FE will go on sale on January 11 at the same starting price as its predecessor: $699. It will be available in four color options: olive, graphite, lavender, and white. Unlike the S20 FE, it does not support expandable storage, and whether that will be a deal-breaker and get in the way of it becoming the best affordable flagship of the year remains to be seen.
